The Sooty Show

The Sooty Show
The Sooty Show opening theme, 1981-1984.
Format	Children's/Comedy
Starring	Harry Corbett (1955-1975) Matthew Corbett (1976-1992) Marjorie Corbett (The voice of Soo from 1964-1980) Brenda Longman (The voice of Soo from 1981-1992)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	22
No. of episodes	209
Production
Location(s)	Teddington Studios
Running time	20 minutes
Production company(s)	BBC (1955-1967) Thames Television (1968-1992)
Distributor	Fremantle Media
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC/ITV
Original run	24 July 1955 (1955-07-24) – 30 November 1992 (1992-11-30)
Chronology
Followed by	Sooty & Co. (1993–1998)

The Sooty Show was a British children's television series that aired on the BBC from 1955 to 1967 when the BBC eventually cancelled The Sooty Show after Paul Fox, the then controller of BBC One at the time, cleared out some of the long running shows. After it was cancelled from the BBC that year, The Sooty Show swiftly moved to ITV shortly after the launch of Thames Television.

It features the glove puppet characters Sooty, Sweep (who appeared in 1957) and Soo (appeared in 1964), and follows them in their many mischievous adventures. The show was presented from the 1955 to 1975 by Harry Corbett, and from 1976 to 1992 by his son, Matthew as he bought the rights for Sooty for £35,000 from his father, and acted as the token human being.

The Sooty Show concluded its final series, after Thames Television lost its franchise as part of the ITV network in 1992. In 1993, the show was replaced/succeeded by Sooty & Co., also presented by Matthew Corbett and was made by Granada in Manchester, North-West of England.

Characters

• Sooty - A mute yellow bear who is the protagonist of the show. He owns a magic wand whose power is invoked using the words "Izzy wizzy, let's get busy!".

• Sweep - A grey dog with a penchant for bones and sausages. He wears red wellingtons and communicates using bizarre squeaks.
• Soo - A calm and collected female panda who acts as the foil for both Sooty and Sweep. Usually wears a red skirt. Originally voiced by Harry Corbett's wife Marjorie Corbett from 1964 to 1980 and later voiced by Brenda Longman from 1981 to the present day.

• Butch - A black dog, similar to Sweep but able to talk. Introduced by Harry Corbett in the early 1970s, but withdrawn by Matthew in 1980 returning to play the part of a villain.

• Little Cousin Scampi - Sooty's cousin, also mute like Sooty. Introduced in an episode of the same title in 1990 and became a regular character from 1991.

• Muffin the Mule

• Snuffles the Rabbit

Episodes

Main article: List of Sooty Show episodes

UK VHS & DVD Releases

VHS Title	Release Date	Episodes
The Adventures of Sooty	1986	Sherlock Sooty, Snuffles the Rabbit Comes to Stay!, The Magic Show, Sooty Christmas Panto
Sooty - Plumbing	1986	Plumbing, Soo's Party Problem, The Magic Show, Football Mad!, Sherlock Sooty
Sooty - Out and About!	1987	Out and About!, Rabbit in a Trap, Football Mad!
Sooty and Co & Sooty's House	1987	Marathon, On the Piste, Down Dog, Perfume, White Lies, Bad Luck!
Sooty - The Big Surprise	1988	The Big Surprise!, Return of Superdog!, Overnight Away
Sooty - Sooty's Time Capsule/Ventriloquism	1988	Time Capsule, Ventriloquism
The Sooty Christmas Show!	1988	Sooty Christmas Special, Hidden Talent
Children's Favourites	1988	Burglar Box (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.)
Sooty's School Trip	1989	School Trip, Tap Time, Moving House
Children's Favourites: Friday Night Tales"	1989	Perfume (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.)
The Very Best Of Sooty	1989	Make and Do!, Perfume, Restaurant, Star Gazing, Sooty's Magic Lamp, Moving House, Amateur Dramatics, The Big Suprise, Burglar Box.
Sooty's Stately Home and Other Stories	1989	Stately Home, Ancestors, Millionaire
Sooty's Magic Lamp and Other Stories	1989	Sooty's Magic Lamp, Cuddly Toys, Make and Do!
Children's Favourites Vol. 3	1989	Amateur Dramatics (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.)
Sooty's Christmas Party and Other Stories	1989	The Sooty Christmas Show, Royalty, Get Your Skates On!
Children's Summer Stories	1989	Messing About in Boats (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.)
Children's Old School Favorites	1990	Gardeners for Hire (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow' and 'Button Moon'.)
Little Cousin Scampi and Other Stories	1990	Little Cousin Scampi, Sticky Situation, Gardeners for Hire
The Good, The Bad and The Furry!	1990	The Good, The Bad and The Furry! (Compilation VHS with 'Rainbow'.)
Sooty Wants a Pet!	1990	Sooty Wants a Pet!, The Unreal Ghostbusters, In Camera
Sooty - Gardeners For Hire	1990	Gardeners For Hire, The Good, The Bad and The Furry!, Nothing Ever Happens!, Little Cousin Scampi, Fat and 40, In Camera, Inventors
Sooty's Golf Crazy Golf	1990	Sooty's Crazy Golf, Down Under, Grin and Bear It!
Sooty's Bumper Special	1990	Inventors, Fat and 40, Stay Awake!, Nothing Ever Happens!, Bowled Over!
Sooty - Sooty's Favourite Stories	1990	Radio Control Car, Honking Nose, Sweep's Family
Sooty's Top 5 Stories!	1991	Izzy Wizzy, Radio Control Car, Inventors, Return of Scampi!, Bowled Over!
Sooty - Sooty's Big Time Video!	1991	Just Not Cricket, Bangers and Smash, Water Sports, Dyb, Dyb Disaster!
Sooty - Matt Robot and Other Stories	1991	Matt Robot, Return of Scampi!, Car Boot Sale
Sooty - Hair Today and Other Stories	1991	Hair Today, Derek's Back!, Any 5-Year-Old Can Do It!
Sooty - Only Joking! and Other Stories	1991	Only Joking!, Boarding House, Bored Games
Sooty - Three Men in a Boat and Other Stories	1991	Three Men in a Boat, Swinging the Lead!, Cars, Trains, Boats and Planes
Sooty - What a Load of Rubbish! & Collecting	1992	What a Load of Rubbish!, Collecting
The Christmas Collection	1992	Early Christmas (Compilation with 'Rainbow and 'Wind in the Willows'.)
My Bumper Christmas Sooty	1997	A Summertime Christmas, Little Terrors, Sooty's Christmas Party, Sooty's Busy Christmas!
Sooty - Biggest Party Video!	1998	Happy Birthday, Sooty!, Back to Front, Soo's Party Problem, Sweep's Family, Bored Games
Sooty - A Very Special Day!	2000	A Very Special Day!, Bored Games, Little Cousin Scampi, Hot Stuff, Swinging the Lead!, Only Joking!, Any 5-Year-Old Can Do It!
Sooty - The Unreal Ghostbusters	2001	The Unreal Ghostbusters, Hot Stuff, Soo's Party Problem, Little Terrors, Bored Games, Three Men In A Boat, Sooty Wants A Pet!

DVD Title	Release Date	Episodes
The Sooty Show - Izzy Wizzy, Let's Get Busy!	2003/2007	Edited versions of a stage show from 1982 recorded in front of an audience of children (Abbey Home Media).
Cult Kids Classics 2	2001	Compilation DVD, which includes: 'Superdog' (with Geoff Capes).
Sweep Superdog	2001	Superdog and the Comedian, Bouncers, Hot Stuff, Sweep's Family, Honking Nose, Swinging the Lead!
Cult Kids Classics 3	2003	Compilation DVD, which includes: 'Happy Birthday, Sooty!' (with Rod, Jane and Freddy).
Sooty - Wet & Wild Water Fun!	2007	A Very Special Day!, Three Men in a Boat, Water Sports
The Sooty Show - Izzy Wizzy	2008	Izzy Wizzy, Little Terrors, Sooty's Magic Lamp
The Sooty Show - Happy Birthday, Sooty!	2008	Happy Birthday, Sooty!, Sooty Wants a Pet!, Honking Nose
Sooty - The Big Surprise!	2010	The Big Surprise!, Hidden Talent, Sticky Situation, Little Cousin Scampi, Fanatical Fun!

Also, in January 2008, a promotional DVD containing 5 early 80s episodes was distributed by The Times newspaper, for Fremantle Media. The episodes featured were: Bob a Job!; Safety First; Sherlock Sooty; Connie Comes to Tea! and Christmas Panto 1981.

Other Sooty-based shows

Below is a list of other Sooty-based shows, after The Sooty Show.

Title	original run
The Sooty Show	1955–1992
Learn with Sooty!	1989-1991
Sooty & Co.	1993–1998
Sooty's Amazing Adventures!	1996-1997
Sooty Heights	1999–2000
Sooty's Magic Show!	2000-2002
Sooty	2001–2004
Sooty	2011-present